Friday, 25 March 2011

After looking down and seeing hexagons at my feet I looked up and saw this........

I have passed this hotel so many times on route to Sidmouth and have never even glanced at it until the other day and saw the amazing roof tiles. My husbands comment was that the cost of the roof must have been very expensive as the slate is difficult to cut in a square let alone a hexagon. I also had another thought and at 10pm had to go outside and look at the front of my house and... yes, there below my window are hexagon tiles! Doh! Now why did that one not cross my mind sooner.

Take a good look in the box. There are 120 flowers in there, 1 jelly roll's worth. Also completed are 99 centres for the next batch of plain flowers. I may not be showing these again for some time so take a last look. Phew! I have loved every minute of making these and never tire of them. In stitching them they have had my darkest thoughts, tears, memories, good and bad and they have seen me through and out the other side. It is stitching in it's purest and simplest form and sometimes it is the best way to help yourself through a difficult day. I know there are many out there doing the same and it also tides you over until inspiration strikes to move on to other things. I make no apologies for this.

The weather has been so glorious and according to the weather report we are actually warmer than parts of Spain. Woohoo!. Rachel and I went to Sidmouth and sat on the beach. Rachel made herself a little bit of beach art.

Rachel.

Wednesday was all hands to the pump helping Kate to get ready for her first visitors. We also helped Wendy to celebrate her birthday with the usual opening of gifts and eating little pastries called yum yums. Pat was late getting there so we ate hers. Yum, yum. Sorry Pat. We even sat outside and had lunch. How good was that for March.

Last but not least. My friend Sue Lewis (on the right - friend Sue Marsh on the left)had a lovely birthday gift from her daughter. Sue fell in love with the quilt on display at Cowslip Studio's in Cornwall and her daughter decided to take her back there to buy it. Sue said imagine her disappointment when it said sold on it and then for it to be handed to her as a gift. I hope my girls are reading this. The quilt was much admired by all of us at Apple County Quilters. What a lovely birthday and what a great treat.

Thursday, 10 March 2011

A few posts back I showed you a photo of a manhole cover in the shape of a hexagon and asked what else was out there in this shape. Valentina from Valentina's Corner sent me a photo of a loaf of bread and I came across this one again literally under my feet. Have you guessed by now what it is? It is the step machine at the gym complete with rubber hexagon mat and the 1-2-3 brings me nicely to the next photo.

I have reached the 100th jelly roll flower and that means 20 left to stitch. Incidentally that also means there are 120 hexies left in the box. I think I have reached a decision on the background fabric and the more I look at it the more I like it.

I thought I would try and show you how I am assembling these flowers as I think this is the quickest way and I have a whole lot more to get through before I am done.

I start with the centre hexagon (green) and then join the first outer hexagon to the green and then I stitch the others to the last one stitched - so only the first hexagon is stitched to the green at this stage. You will see from the photo that when they are all joined it looks like orange peel.

Now you are going to join them to the centre green hexagon. Tiny oversewing, taking the needle just through a few threads and not through the paper.

Stitch the next free side to the green side.

And the next.

Nearly there.

Last one. Fold the flower in half and join the last seam together.

One completed flower. Easy when you know how. Cannot do them any other way now. Try and see how easy it is and it is neat too.

Yesterday I could have cried with sheer delight. If you want to see this chair properly then you will have to go and stay at Kate's Quilting Retreat. Kate made the clamshell pad and revamped this old chair into something so gorgeous. Wendy and I wondered if she would miss it and we would have had to fight it out as to who would get it. It is going to live in one of her bedrooms. Sadly not mine or Wendy's.

Wendy is making this quilt for her daughter Laura. Lucky Laura. It is so pretty. Such loveliness going on yesterday.

Wednesday, 2 March 2011

I fear that my blog title sometimes doesn't live up to it's name. Not a lot of stitchery has been achieved of late other than a handful of hexagons and I really do mean a handful. I do however, have a few things to show today. Hurrah!

My love of beads equals my fabric stash but thank goodness it is on a much smaller scale or there would be no room for me to live here. This is my latest offering, a gorgeous bracelet using cubes, seed beads and drops. It was a quickie and I love the colours, plus it was very simple.

Valentine Hearts now has its borders and is ready to be layered and quilted.

My sister chose this yarn for her socks. I was surprised as I wouldn't have chosen it for her and would have chosen it for myself so there may be a bit of sisterly rivalry going on here as to whether she gets them or not. The yarn is Wendy - Happy Feet and it is my favourite to use. It knits up well, washes well and, more to the point, feels good on your feet.

Because of the lack of sewing I thought I would show you an oldie. This little crazy patchwork heart was made in a workshop with Anne Baxter many moons ago and it is one of my favourite things. I beaded the edge and also added a few beady bits that were lying around after practising.

Finally, my cactus plant has been in a sorry state. I repotted it last year and it suddenly bushed out. It hadn't flowered for a long time but this is a bit spooky but co-incidence I know. My sister in law gave me a lovely poem and photo of my mum and I put it next to the plant. My mum loved gardening and do you know ever since the photo has been there it has produced a flower a week. As one dies off the next one comes out. I talk to mum and the plant every day and tell her well done for making the flowers come out.